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EU promotion policy central to the food industry’s competitiveness

Date

16 Dec 2011

Sections

Agriculture & Food

(16 December 2011) FoodDrinkEurope welcomes the Council Conclusions on the Green Paper on the promotion of EU agricultural products, adopted today, which acknowledge that promotion is an important tool in ensuring the competitiveness of the food processing industry.

European food and drink companies are committed to producing safe, high quality products for consumers both at home and abroad. As a result, FoodDrinkEurope welcomes the Council Conclusions which have a fundamental role to play in promoting these products. This will increase the industry’s competitiveness, helping it to meet the objectives of the EU 2020 Strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth.

In particular, FoodDrinkEurope values the increased emphasis on third countries as a means to tap into growing markets, supporting food companies’ export strategies. In addition, food operators agree with the Council that promotion policies should be more ambitious and more consistent with other promotion instruments and policies. FoodDrinkEurope welcomes the move to improve the current framework, increasing promotion’s impact and reducing red tape.

Moreover, Europe’s food and drink industry purchases and processes 70% of EU agricultural production and, as such, FoodDrinkEurope appreciates that the Conclusions reflect the interdependence that exists between farmers and processors in Europe.

Speaking after the Council Conclusions were adopted, Jesús Serafín Pérez, FoodDrinkEurope’s President, said: “The Council Conclusions are great news for Europe’s largest manufacturing industry. EU promotion policy is central to helping promote the industry’s competitiveness, facilitating an environment in which all Europe’s food and drink companies, whatever their size, can meet the demands of consumers and society while competing effectively for sustainable growth. Food manufacturers are pleased to see that the Council Conclusions support this view”.

FoodDrinkEurope represents the food and drink industries of Europe – the largest manufacturing sector in the EU in terms of turnover and employment. FoodDrinkEurope‟s mission is to represent the food and drink industries‟ interests, at the level of European and international institutions, in order to contribute to the development of a legislative and economic framework addressing the competitiveness of industry, food quality and safety, consumer protection and respect for the environment. The membership of FoodDrinkEurope is made up of 26 national federations, including 3 observers, 25 European sector associations and 18 major food and drink companies. For more information on FoodDrinkEurope and its activities, visit: www.fooddrinkeurope.eu.